'India and Pakistan can play a bilateral series after IPL'

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi is confident that Pakistan and India can play a short bilateral series after the Indian
Premier League (IPL) this summer.

"With India now deciding to host IPL matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) it is a good sign for us as we can also play India at these venues if they don't want to tour Pakistan," Sethi told Pakistani reporters in Dhaka. 

Sethi is in Dhaka to not only watch the World T20 matches but also meet with other board officials including from India. Pakistan is not scheduled to play any international cricket after the World T20 Cup until October this year and Sethi said there were windows available for a series with
India.

The PCB chief also disclosed that due to the refusal of teams to play in Pakistan since 2009, the PCB had suffered the loss of annual earnings of around USD 10 million and the board was looking at ways to recoup at shortfall which was badly hurting the board's financial health. 

"We are working fast track on having the Super League T20 soon even if we have to organize it in the UAE because this is one way of improving our financial health," Sethi added.

The PCB had also planned to hold the Pakistan Premier League in 2013 and had even signed up some players but had to call off the event due to refusal of boards to permit their players to play in Pakistan. 

"Given the current situation it looks like we will have to hold the Super League in the UAE and we would like to have the semi finals and final at Lahore," Sethi said. 

The PCB chief said that talks were also being held with other boards to not only organize some tours but also to update them on players required for the Super League. 

No Test team has visited Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in which atleast six Pakistani policemen and a van driver were killed and some of the visiting players wounded.